Film School Rejects » Neil Miller

The Slammin’ Salmon Trailer: The Movie is Better, We Promise

Neil Miller — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:34:56 +0000

Anchor Bay Entertainment has released the first official trailer for the upcoming Broken Lizard comedy The Slammin’ Salmon, which they will release in limited fashion in December. I caught this film when it made a stop here in Austin for the SXSW Film Festival in the spring. And for reasons unknown, this trailer does not in any way do it justice. The film is a bit dark, full of laughs and all of the inappropriate and meticulously random humor that we’ve come to love from the Broken Lizard crew (a la Supertroopers). This trailer however, seems to cheapen the film’s effect and relegate its funny moments to a series of gags.

So just keep that in mind when you check out the trailer and official synopsis below, both courtesy of Apple.

In the latest comedy from Broken Lizard, (the creators of Supertroopers and Beerfest) “Slammin” Cleon Salmon (Michael Clarke Duncan) is a former Heavyweight Champion of the World turned celebrity owner of a high end Miami seafood restaurant, The Slammin’ Salmon. A terrifying bull of a man, Salmon uses fear to rule over his misfit waitstaff (Broken Lizard’s Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Erik Stolhanske, as well as Cobie Smulders and April Bowlby) and on this particular night, he takes his bullying skills to a new level. In an effort to pay off a gambling debt to the Japanese Yakuza, Salmon sets up a contest to ‘inspire’ his waitstaff to sell more food than they ever have before: the top selling server wins $10,000 while the waiter in last place gets served with a broken rib sandwich—courtesy of the Champ himself. Spurred on by greed and panic, the staff resort to backstabbing, bribery and indecent proposals in an attempt to upsell their patrons while simultaneously sabotaging their co-workers. As the hours pass, the dining room action becomes more frenzied as the contest escalates into a brawl for first place in order to win the money.

The Slammin’ Salmon hits theaters in limited release on December 11, 2009.

Exclusive Video: Gentlemen Broncos Orders Turkey Testicles

Neil Miller — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:14:49 +0000

This is probably the single strangest exclusive we’ve ever received (and for that matter, posted), but what the heck. It’s late on a Friday and we don’t have much else to talk about — we might as well give you a look behind the scenes of Gentlemen Broncos in which their props man orders very specific kinds of turkey testes for director Jared Hess. Yep, that pretty much sums it up. Spend a few moments of your life in cruise control below.

Gentlemen Broncos stars Sam Rockwell, Jemaine Clement and is directed by Napoleon Dynamite’s Jared Hess. It is in limited release now.

Dan Aykroyd, Anna Faris, Justin Timberlake and Yogi Bear, Oh My!

Neil Miller — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:57:17 +0000

Entertainment Weekly has uncovered the supposed casting for the upcoming live-action/hybrid adventure that will bring the lovable picnic basket thief Yogi Bear to the big screen. The Hanna-Barbera cartoon will be adapted into a 3D film by director Eric Brevig (Journey to the Center of the Earth), with a screenplay from Wild Hogs scribe Brad Copeland.

We now know who will voice Yogi, his trusty little friend Boo Boo and who will play a documentary filmmaker trying to get a glimpse of these two hungry bears. Dan Aykroyd will voice Yogi, with pop star turned actor Justin Timberlake taking his side as the voice of Boo-Boo. The lovely Anna Faris, seen most recently in the twisted Observe and Report, will play the film’s documentarian, a girl named Rachel.

The story will revolve around two animated bears — one of whom wears a collar and tie, but no shirt — who are the antagonists to one Park Ranger Smith. No word yet on who might play Park Ranger Smith, but don’t be surprised if it is cast soon. I’ve seen some predicting that Will Ferrell will take the role, but that’s too obvious. I’m thinking someone more menacing. How about Robert Patrick or the great Robert De Niro? “We gadda get dat fuggin’ bear…” No? Okay.

Filming will begin in New Zealand next month, with Warner Bros. targeting a December 17, 2010 release date. Now, please express your feelings about this in the comment area below. Also, what’s in that pic-a-nic basket?

Kick-Ass Character Posters Spell Things Out

Neil Miller — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:48:27 +0000

The folks at IGN have debuted for new character posters from the upcoming Lionsgate release Kick-Ass, from director Matthew Vaughn and the mind of Wanted writer Mark Millar. This comic property, now highly anticipated due to a wicked-cool showing at the San Diego Comic-Con this year, will star Nicolas Cage, Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse as average folks (mostly kids) who dress up as superheros and take on crime. Well, sort of.

The new round of posters shows off the characters in costume. And when put together — seen above — they spell out the film’s title and the most likely pun that critics will use if the film succeeds with its plans to delight audiences with mayhem: Kick-Ass kicks ass. Get it?

Alas, here are the posters and some character descriptions. Click any of the posters to see the larger versions at IGN.

First up is Davi Lizewski (Johnson), the central character of the film. He’s no superhero, nor is he particularly smart or strong. In fact, he’s not extraordinary at all. He just wants to be a hero. So he dawns a scuba suit, ski mask and wields a pair of clubs as he takes on crime. Sure, he gets beaten quite badly (and stabbed) several times along the way, but that won’t stop this determined youngster from upholding justice.

Next is Hit-Girl (Moretz), an acrobatic junior assassin who will slice and dice anyone who gets in her way. She’s only 11-years old, but that doesn’t stop her from delivering the pain when it comes time.

Big Daddy (Cage) is the father of Hit-Girl, a dubious character who has raised his only daughter to be a ruthless vigilante. His plans are more complex than those of his youthful daughter and her newfound friend Kick-Ass, as he’s looking to get even with a crime boss who killed his wife.

Finally, we have Red Mist (Mintz-Plasse), a new hero who emerges in the aftermath of Kick-Ass’ debut. He’s a little stoner who becomes a participant in Kick-Ass’ mission, ever close but always plotting with his own underlying motivation.

There’s more than just a little bit to be excited about here. I’ve read several reader reviews from various sites, as well as the ones that a few of our readers have sent in, and I couldn’t be more pumped to see this film finally hit the big screen. From what I’ve heard, Matthew Vaughn has captured perfectly the razor’s edge that Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. gave this story when they inked it, and we will all be delighted when it finally drops.

Kick-Ass hits theaters on April 16, 2010.

It’s Complicated Trailer: Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin Get It On

Neil Miller — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:22:06 +0000

Alec Baldwin is randomly crying. Meryl Streep is a little bit of a slut. Steve Martin, still crazy. And writer/director Nancy Meyers — purveyor of such estrogen-infused classics as What Women Want, Something’s Gotta Give and The Holiday – is back again for another round of romcom with It’s Complicated. This time, she’s taking the story of a divorced woman (Streep) who starts having a fling with her fast-talking ex-husband (Baldwin), even though he’s now married to a younger woman (Lake Bell) and she’s got a thing with her architect (Steve Martin).

It’s all very derivative — the kind of romantic comedy you take with a dose of promethazine (via suppository, of course) for your arthritis. You know, the ultimate sequel to Meyers’ Mel Gibson collaboration, What Old People Want. Alas, there is no doubt that Alec Baldwin will be his stock brand of hilarious and Meryl Streep will be her stock brand of graceful, classy and ever-so-charming. Doesn’t guarantee a great movie-going experience, but it’s a start.

See the trailer and official synopsis below, courtesy of Apple.

Writer/director Nancy Meyers (What Women Want, Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday) directs Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin in It’s Complicated, a comedy about love, divorce and everything in between. Jane (Streep) is the mother of three grown kids, owns a thriving Santa Barbara bakery/restaurant and has—after a decade of divorce—an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, attorney Jake (Baldwin). But when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son’s college graduation, things start to get complicated. An innocent meal together turns into the unimaginable—an affair. With Jake remarried to the much younger Agness (Lake Bell), Jane is now, of all things, the other woman. Caught in the middle of their renewed romance is Adam (Martin), an architect hired to remodel Jane’s kitchen. Healing from a divorce of his own, Adam starts to fall for Jane, but soon realizes he’s become part of a love triangle. Should Jane and Jake move on with their lives, or is love truly lovelier the second time around? It’s…complicated.

J.J. Abrams to Produce Hasbro’s Micronauts Movie

Neil Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:12:14 +0000

The Wall Street Journal (via Coming Soon) is reporting today that J.J. Abrams, whom you may know as the director of Star Trek and producer of Lost, is in talks to produce a movie about the Japanese interchangable toys Micronauts — 3.75-inch tall toys which were used in an inter-connected design.

The rights to the project were acquired by Hasbro, who will base the film on the Micronauts comic series published by Marvel Comics, Image Comics and Devil’s Due Publishing. The series was first published in 1979.

In a curious quote, J.J. Abrams speaks about those who doubt whether a board game or science fiction toy should be accorded star status: “Sometimes, when someone is not a celebrity and you are casting them in a role, everyone who is in a seat of authority voices questions about that actor’s talent, sex appeal, looks, ability — their everything,” he says. “But then they get the role, and suddenly they are on the cover of every magazine, and nobody questions those things again. In retrospect, everyone says, ‘Of course that person is a star.’”

Essentially, what we believe him to be saying is that once the Micronauts film is done and released, we will not be surprised (nor will we question) their ultimate star status. At least, that’s what I get from that quote. Alas, he is also working on the Cloverfield-esque thriller 500 Rads, among other things.

Milla Jovovich Joins Twitter; Updates from Resident Evil: Afterlife Set

Neil Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:52:57 +0000

Earlier this week, Dr. Cole Abaius and I were having a discussion about a new brand of director — the super-accessible kind who are now connecting with us, and their audience through the social media site Twitter. Whereas they were previously just the folks behind the camera and in the hot seat during junket weekend prior to their release, directors like Up in the Air’s Jason Reitman (@JasonReitman), The Brothers Bloom director Rian Johnson (@rcjohnso) and even that Clerks guy Kevin Smith (@ThatKevinSmith) are now just a tweet away. It is interesting to see them so connected, so close to the folks who buy tickets that pay their salaries.

Then, there are the on-set tweeters. The publicist for The Expendables has been tweeting like crazy about Sly Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and everyone else who’s come to that set. And Overture Films has someone on set with Breck Eisner’s The Crazies (@TheCraziesFilm), tweeting live from the Georgia set.

But that’s not all.. Today, we got word that Milla Jovovich has been tweeting from the set of her upcoming movie Resident Evil: Afterlife. The series, from producer/director Paul W.S. Anderson, has a solid following and to her credit, Milla is actually saying a few interesting things here and there. Fans of the series might want to give her a follow: @MillaJovovich.

Here’s an example, in which she tweets about her character Alice’s sweet hardware in the fourth film.

so, for anyone interested in the guns i use in this movie, here is the list:

2 smith&wesson 460 revolvers, 2 sawed off double barrel shotguns,1MPSK submachine gun,2MP9 submachine guns and 1 M4 assault rifle. phew!

Not the most interesting thing you’re going to read today, but still pretty cool. Beats working at your cubicle.

Oh, and while you’re at it, you should head over at follow the FSR staff here: @rejects/team

John Krasinski Brings ‘Brief Interviews’ to the Alamo Drafthouse

Neil Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:19:22 +0000

Here’s some exciting local news for our readers in our home city of Austin, TX. One of my more praised, but lesser known Sundance 2009 favorites is coming to town — and with it comes writer/director John Krasinski, who you may know as Jim from The Office. The film is Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, based on the David Foster Wallace novel of the same name.

When I reviewed it at Sundance in January of this year, I said that the source material — a favorite book of mine — is on par with Watchmen in its level of difficulty for adaptation. It has long been thought to be a near-impossible work to adapt. And what Krasinski has done with this star-studded affair is nothing short of immaculate, especially for a first time director. It is a fresh new voice telling an ambitious story that delivers dramatic moments that are poignant and deeply affecting, and comedic moments that are true to life.

It’s not the most accessible movie in the world (which I explained in my review), but it is a quality piece of filmmaking. And it’s your chance to do a little meet-and-greet with Krasinski, who will be in attendance for select shows on November 13th and 14th, says the Original Alamo blog. For more information and to buy tickets, head over to the Alamo Drafthouse site.

For more on Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, check out the trailer and official synopsis below.

John Krasinski makes his debut as a screenwriter and director with Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. The film also marks the first big-screen project ever derived from the literary library of the late David Foster Wallace. When her boyfriend leaves her with little explanation, Sara Quinn (Julianne Nicholson) is left looking for answers as to what went wrong. Directing all her energies into her anthropological dissertation, Sara conducts a series of interviews with men in an effort to uncover the secret thoughts that drive their behavior. She thinks she can remedy both her heartache and her academic challenges with a new research project and begins conducting a series of interviews with men. As she records the astonishing and disquieting experiences of various subjects, Sara discovers much more about men and herself than she bargained for. Krasinski also co-stars in this dark comedy.

New Photo from The Crazies: Radha Mitchell is in Trouble

Neil Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:03:06 +0000

Overture Films has released a new photo from their upcoming thriller The Crazies, a Breck Eisner directed reinvention of a George Romero classic. Set in a small town, The Crazies tells the story of the chaos that ensues after a mysterious toxin is released upon the population.

In the image above (click to enlarge), we see Judy (Radha Mitchell), who is the wife of the town’s sheriff (Timothy Olyphant). And it looks as if Judy is having a close encounter with something mean and nasty. For more, check out the trailer and official synopsis below.

Imagine living in a small town where everything is safe and happy…until suddenly it isn’t. Imagine your friends and neighbors going quickly and horrifically insane. In a terrifying tale of the “American Dream” gone horribly wrong, four friends find themselves trapped in their hometown in The Crazies, a reinvention of the George Romero classic directed by Breck Eisner from a screenplay by Ray Wright (Pulse, Case 39) and Scott Kosar (The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre).

David Dutten (Timothy Olyphant) is sheriff of Ogden Marsh, a picture-perfect American town with happy, law-abiding citizens. But one night, one of them comes to a school baseball game with a loaded shotgun, ready to kill. Another man burns down his own house…after locking his wife and young son in a closet inside. Within days, the town has transformed into a sickening asylum; people who days ago lived quiet, unremarkable lives have now become depraved, blood-thirsty killers, hiding in the darkness with guns and knives. Sheriff Dutten tries to make sense of what’s happening as the horrific, nonsensical violence escalates. Something is infecting the citizens of Ogden Marsh…with insanity.

Now complete anarchy reigns as one by one the townsfolk succumb to an unknown toxin and turn sadistically violent. In an effort to keep the madness contained, the government uses deadly force to close off all access and won’t let anyone in or out – even those uninfected. The few still sane find themselves trapped: Sheriff Dutten; his pregnant wife, Judy (Radha Mitchell); Becca (Danielle Panabaker), an assistant at the medical center; and Russell (Joe Anderson), Dutten’s deputy and right-hand man. Forced to band together, an ordinary night becomes a horrifying struggle for survival as they do their best to get out of town alive.

The Crazies hits theaters February 26, 2010.

Star Trek Delivers Out of this World Blu-ray/DVD Retail Exclusives

Neil Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:09:24 +0000

If you’re anything like me, then you are ready to get out there and pick up Star Trek on Blu-ray (or DVD, if you’re so inclined) when it hits local retail shelves on November 17th. And if you’re anything like me, you will spend the preceding Sunday scouring advertisements to see who has the best price, and more importantly, the coolest collectible or exclusive.

Lucky for you, we’ve got a sneak peek at some of the retail exclusives that will be hitting when the USS Enterprise finally docks here on Earth. And I know (unlike the makers of this recent movie) that the Enterprise could never make it into the Earth’s atmosphere and that it was built, and always has been in space. I’m just being clever. Get your fix below, fellow nerds.

UNITED STATES

Hollywood Video – Rent/Buy any Star Trek DVD and be entered to win an autographed poster of Uhura (Zoe Saldana).

Transworld (FYE/Coconuts/Suncoast) – Collectible Steelbook packaging.

Best Buy – Collectible Gift Set with four pack of badge pins.

CVS – Consumer Offer. Buy $15 (or more) in itunes gift cards and get the DVD (single disc) for only $9.99 (First week only).

Target – Limited Edition Collectible Starship Enterprise Packaging on both 2-Disc DVD and 3-Disc Blu-ray. See the video below:

Amazon.com – Star Trek Limited Edition Replica Gift Set (Three-Disc + Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

CANADA

Best Buy Canada – 3-Disc Special Edition Blu-Ray Collectible packaging – Easily assembles to become a Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise DVD Package! (same as Target in the US).

Future Shop – Exclusive 2 Disc Steelbook Edition and 3-Disc Blu-Ray Steelbook Edition.

HMV – Limited Edition Blu-Ray Gift Set – includes Star Trek 3-Disc Blu-Ray set with Digital copy and Four Replica Starfleet Division Badges.

Wal-Mart Canada – Exclusive Lenticular o-sleeve package on the Star Trek 2 disc DVD.

Are you picking up Star Trek on DVD/Blu-ray? If so, will you be getting any of these exclusives?

Halo Movie is Coming; It Will Just Be Animated

Neil Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:06:30 +0000

Exactly what you’ve all been waiting for… Sort of. Warner Home Video has announced today that they will release Halo: Legends, a series of seven animated short films. It will hit DVD and Blu-ray on February 9, 2010.

For your amusement, please see the official press release below:

Go deeper into the Halo universe than ever before with Halo Legends, an all-new, CG and traditional anime PG-13 experience that presents enthralling new stories from one of the world’s most popular video game franchises. Produced by 343 Industries, a part of Microsoft Game Studios, the exciting tales-beyond-the-games will be distributed February 9, 2010 by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray for $29.98 (SRP) and $34.99 (SRP), respectively, as well as single disc DVD for $19.98 (SRP) due date for all versions is January 5, 2010. The chapters will also be available On Demand and Digital Download.

Halo Legends is a seven-story anthology – told across eight spectacular episodes – that explores the origin and historical events of the Halo universe and its intriguing characters. Halo Legends has been created in the same breakthrough format as The Animatrix and Batman Gotham Knight with each individual episode imagined by a cutting-edge, renowned Japanese anime director/animator, including Shinji Aramaki, Mamoru Oshii, Hideki Futamura, Tomoki Kyoda and Yasushi Muraki. The stories are inspired and produced by the creative minds of 343 Industries, including Halo franchise development director Frank O’Connor and managing editor Kevin Grace.

The individual episodes fall within Halo’s 26th Century mythology as the battle between humanity and aliens rages on in an attempt to protect Earth and mankind’s expansive number of space colonies. The dramatic, action-packed stories feature characters and locales familiar to Halo fans, and episodes range in length between 10 and 17 minutes – resulting in nearly two hours of animated adventures.

The episodes are animated by some of the world’s most respected studios and directors in anime today. The studios range from Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, Batman Gotham Knight), Bones (Cowboy Bebop, Fell Metal Alchemist) and Toei Animation (Dragonball Z, Digimon) to Studio 4oC (The Animatrix, Batman Gotham Knight) and Casio Entertainment. The stellar roster of animation talent on Halo Legends is highlighted by creative supervisors Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed) and Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell); directors Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed), Hideki Futamura (The Animatrix), Daisuke Nishio (Dragonball Z), Hiroshi Yamazaki (Karas), Toshiyuki Kanno (Black Lagoon), Koichi Mashimo (Blade of the Immortal) and Koji Sawai (Patlabor); directors/action designers Tomoki Kyoda (Eureka Seven, Evangelion 1.0) and Yasushi Muraki (Macross Plus, Vampire Hunter D); and writer Dai Sato (Cowboy Bebop).

Halo is a centerpiece in the world of video games, selling more than 27 million units to a devoted legion of fans – including the latest hit Halo 3:ODST. The Halo franchise has driven more than $1 billion in revenue from its award winning Xbox games, New York Times best-selling novels and comics and a wide variety of other merchandise.

Halo Legends – 2 Disc Special Edition version will have several hours of incredible bonus features, including:

• The Making of Halo Legends – An introduction to Halo Legends followed by a making-of segment for each episode.

• Halo: Gaming Evolved – Explaining the Halo phenomenon from its inception as an Xbox video game to a present day entertainment franchise.

• Audio Commentary with directors Frank O’Connor and Joseph Chou

• Widescreen (1.78:1)

Halo Legends Blu-Ray versions will be loaded with bonus materials, including all the great extras from the 2-disc Special Edition as well as Halo: The Story so Far, an overview of the Halo universe up until the end of Halo 3

“Halo Legends offers fans stunning, new creative visions of the popular video game’s expansive universe, providing added depth and perspective to these beloved characters and thrilling environments,” said Halo franchise development director Frank O’Connor. “Halo Legends is a perfect complement to the game’s growing canon of ancillary entertainment options.”

“Warner Home Video is proud to partner with Microsoft to bring this video game phenomenon to fans in an altogether different entertainment medium,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands Marketing. “The great storytelling, memorable characters and truly astounding CG/Anime make Halo Legends a must-have for the fans.”

Marketing Support

Halo Legends will be extensively marketed with a major national TV, Print, Radio and Online media campaign.
The campaign will also include trailering on WHV titles to garner an additional 10 million impressions. Exciting promotions with Xbox LIVE, iTunes, Amazon and other related partners will drive strong consumer awareness and demand amongst the core fan base. Additionally, the dedicated Halo Legends website URL halolegendsdvd.com will include an enticing sweepstakes offer to drive traffic and viral activity. More information about Halo and Halo Legends can be found at halolegends.com.

Exclusive previews of Halo Legends will be available on the new Xbox LIVE experience, Halo Waypoint, starting November 7, 2009.

Stare at Goats, And You May Just Win a Prize!

Neil Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:46:49 +0000

You know that it’s going to be a good day when we start off with a sweet giveaway. And we also know that it’s going to be a good day when we get to run a giveaway for a movie with a completely ridiculous concept. And so it is with the upcoming comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats, starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges. In celebration of this release, we’ve got a very special prize pack, just for our most affectionate readers. For the record: we tried to get a replica of George Clooney’s awesome mustache (seen above), but were denied. Sad times.

The Prize Pack

One (1) lucky reader will receive the following:

copy of The Men Who Stare at Goats book
Official No Goats, No Glory T-Shirt

How to Enter

Follow these simple steps:

Head over to the Official Film School Rejects Facebook Page
Click “Become a Fan”
Done

Other restrictions, rules, etc:

You must be 18 years or older to enter.
You must be a resident of the United States or Canada.

Winners will be selected at random from our Facebook Fans on November 20, 2009.

About the Film

In a comedic look at real life events that are almost too bizarre to believe, a reporter discovers a top-secret wing of the U.S. military when he accompanies an enigmatic Special Forces operator on a mind-boggling mission.

Reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) is in search of his next big story when he encounters Lyn Cassady (Academy Award® winner George Clooney), a shadowy figure who claims to be part of an experimental U.S. military unit. According to Cassady, the New Earth Army is changing the way wars are fought. A legion of “Warrior Monks” with unparalleled psychic powers can read the enemy’s thoughts, pass through solid walls, and even kill a goat simply by staring at it. Now, the program’s founder, Bill Django (Oscar® nominee Jeff Bridges), has gone missing and Cassady’s mission is to find him.

Intrigued by his new acquaintance’s far-fetched stories, Bob impulsively decides to tag along. When the pair tracks Django to a clandestine training camp run by renegade psychic Larry Hooper (two-time Oscar® winner Kevin Spacey), the reporter is trapped in the middle of a grudge match between the forces of Django’s New Earth Army and Hooper’s personal militia of super soldiers. In order to survive this wild adventure, Bob will have to outwit an enemy he never thought possible.

The Men Who Stare at Goats is in theaters November 6, 2009. Watch the trailer below:

Exclusive DVD Clip: Wrong Turn at Tahoe

Neil Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:56:44 +0000

Over the past few months, we’ve become one of the go-to sites on the web for direct-to-DVD flicks. And we know exactly why: we love that crap. We also seem to love it when Cuba Gooding Jr. stars in some b-movie action. Which has happened quite a bit lately, with films such as Hero Wanted, The Way of War and the recently released Hardwired. And now, Paramount Home Entertainment has provided us an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip for Cuba’s next direct-to-DVD adventure, Wrong Turn at Tahoe.

Read the official synopsis below:

Love. Honor. Power. Fear of death… People live for all kinds of reasons. Life becomes the ultimate battle when all you’re living for is revenge. Joshua (Oscar® winner Cuba Gooding Jr.), a hard-nosed collector for a ruthless mob boss (Miguel Ferrer), lives in a world filled with brutal violence and beautiful women. But when he finds himself in the middle of a power struggle with the most dominant drug lord in the business (Harvey Keitel), Joshua knows that one false move could cause everything to come crashing down. Packed with intense action and gripping suspense, this explosive tale of vengeance shows how just one wrong turn can lead to a dead end.

Cuba Gooding Jr. takes on Miguel Ferrer and Harvey Keitel? Yeah, we’ll see that. Check out the exclusive clip below.

Wrong Turn at Tahoe is available for rental on DVD 11/17.

Mary Louise Parker Brings Heat to Adaptation of Warren Ellis’ Red

Neil Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:34:55 +0000

The cast for the adaptation of Warren Ellis’ comic miniseries Red appears to be filling out quite nicely. It began with Bruce Willis, who was signed on from the beginning. Then in April, Morgan Freeman joined the project. Then earlier this week, the lovely Helen Mirren signed on. But wait, that’s not all…

According to THR’s Heat Vision, Red is adding two more great names to the project. John C. Reilly — who will play a retired CIA agent paranoid about being assassinated; and Weeds temptress Mary Louise Parker, who will play the love interest of Bruce Willis’ character. Willis will play Paul Moses, whose plight can be described in the official synopsis below:

As a C.I.A. operative, Paul Moses’s unique talent for killing took him around the world, from one hotspot to another, carrying out the deadly orders of his superiors. And when he retired, he wanted to put his bloody past behind him. But when a new administration takes over the White House, the powers that be decide that Moses knows too much, forcing him back into the game against the agency that trained him.

It’s one of those stories where the legendary warrior — in this case a CIA operative — must go up against a younger, more advanced group of operatives. Think about the Bourne movies, but if Jason Bourne were in his late 40s. Except, instead of Matt Damon, Jason Bourne is played by the ever-badass Bruce Willis. Alright, change of tune: think John McClane, if he were being chased by the CIA. That’s much better.

Now, if only director Robert Schwentke — who brought us Flightplan and The Time Traveler’s Wife — can pull it off. We shall see.

Danny Boyle to Climb a Damn Mountain for ‘127 Hours’

Neil Miller — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:10:38 +0000

Fox Searchlight, the studio that distributed Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning gem Slumdog Millionaire last year, is teaming up with the director on his next project, 127 Hours.

It tells the story of mountaineer Aron Ralston. Ralston’s right forearm got pinned for nearly five days under a boulder during a climb in Utah in May 2003. He used a dull knife to amputate the limb, then scaled a 65-foot sheer wall and hiked out before running into a family that gave him water and food. He was finally rescued by helicopter.

Slumdog’s Christian Colson will produce the pic, which already has one script treatment from Boyle, and may get a full work-up from Simon Beaufoy in the near future, says Variety.

Even though our title may suggest a long run-time for this film, there’s no indication that it will be excessively long. Chances are that the 127-hour journey will be condensed significantly. But seriously, Boyle is currently looking for an actor to portray Ralston (pictured above) — and its likely that such a casting choice will greatly impact the quality of the film, as it’s pretty much a 1-character piece. I’ve included the above image so that you, the great and wonderful readers, might lay down some casting suggestions. Do your worst…

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